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Today's Letters: Obama bashing lacks any credibility

Letters to the Editor
Published February 22, 2008

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The huckster of hope Feb. 19, Charles Krauthammer column

Charles Krauthammer, who has backed failure after failure of the Bush administration, now has to content himself with parroting the latest Obama-bashing, assisted by David Ignatius, Robert Samuelson, et al. At least Hillary Clinton won't be able to complain that everyone's going after her.

Krauthammer's column is festooned with ghoulish allusions to Obama as a religious snake-oil salesman. One would almost expect that at the next speech Obama will break out the Kool-Aid. To top it off, Krauthammer continues to peddle the GOP-neocon fear theme, even implying that a Democratic president's response to George W. Bush's invasion-occupation of Iraq will inevitably end up as his/her fault and somehow vindicate Bush's debacle.

Yes, Obama is relatively young and untested. So was JFK. If Americans are thirsting for his message, perhaps it is because for more than seven years Bush and his band of neocons have used this country for their own political ambitions without a whit of concern for what the public felt. The results are here for everyone to see.

Messianic? The term couldn't more aptly fit the current White House occupant, who justifies his actions or lack of same by his faith even when corruption, lies, constitutional violation and incompetence are exposed at the highest levels. That's a lot harder to swallow than snake oil.

Bill Ackerman, Homosassa

Obama talks change but offers none Feb. 20

A candidate just too liberal

Robert Samuelson's column was right on the mark about Barack Obama. The media's love affair with Obama has been a great disservice to the American people, who need unbiased reporting on all the nominees, not idolization.

I think it is especially important to point out that Obama has the most liberal rating of any U.S. senator, and voted the Democrat Party line more that 90 percent of the time. This is not the record of a man who can reach across the aisle, engage Republicans, and get things done. This is the record of one of the most partisan politicians in Washington. In contrast, John McCain has a solid record of working with Democrats to get legislation passed.

Louis Ciardulli, Safety Harbor

Obama talks change but offers noneFeb. 20

Elect a decent person

Robert Samuelson admits that all candidates must exaggerate and that he is holding Barack Obama to a higher standard than the others, yet he wants Obama to make more promises?

Significant change requires mutually painful bipartisan compromise, which both parties must feel they have discovered and developed for themselves. The key change is to elect an intelligent, decent human who will appoint the best from both parties and tell rank-and-file government employees that we will no longer tolerate, let alone insist, that foxes guard the henhouse!

Byron Evans, Spring Hill

Ire directed at Obama Feb. 21, story

Take pride in our nation

I am a lifelong Democrat, and even when our elected leader was less than desirable, I followed party lines. I find it quite disturbing that a 44-year-old woman who wants to be first lady can only now be proud of our great country.

Michelle Obama is a well-educated woman, with unbelievable options opened to her at great institutions of higher learning. She snubbed them, and the American spirit, with her statements.

Bill and Hillary Clinton have carried each other's baggage this whole election cycle. Why should the Obama family be any different?

My loyalty to this country goes much deeper than to any political party. If the Obamas are the Democrats' choice, I just became a John McCain supporter.

Ken Hilbish, Holiday

Ire directed at Obama Feb. 21, story

Turning a corner

I'm certain that if Michelle Obama could rephrase her statements concerning her pride in America she would jump at the chance. I fear that what was intended to be a positive message will be lost in the furor.

In all fairness, black Americans have had their reasons to be less than proud of America at times. Hearing a bright, well-educated black woman expressing hope that we have at last turned a corner in America, that there is now reason for all Americans to be proud of our country, is not a bad thing.

Todd Hemphill, Trinity

Ire directed at Obama Feb. 21, story

Bias is showing

I believe that your paper made an error in placing this "article" in the national news section, as this was clearly not just an accounting of events and/or facts. It was so unabashedly biased against conservatives that it rightly belonged in the Opinion section.

Also, why is it that I never see anyone labeled a liberal columnist?

Jerry Shores, Pinellas Park

Crack down on guns Feb. 19, letter

Protecting our rights

I read the usual "knee-jerk" reaction to the recent shootings in Illinois. While I can agree that we should enforce the present gun control laws, I disagree that the answer is to abolish all gun ownership. All we ever hear about are the shootings that are not stopped by someone with a legal carry permit, or in their home. How many lives would have been saved in all of these shootings if there was even one person with a concealed carry permit present?

If you agree that only the police should be armed, isn't that called a police state? How many Jews would have died if every Jew that was approached by Hitler's thugs was met by a gun?

The Second Amendment was put there to protect all the other rights established by our Founding Fathers. If you argue that the Second Amendment refers to the National Guard, then you'll have to say that all references to "the people" mean the National Guard.

Please, let us look at these tragedies for what they are, random attacks by mental defectives. If there were no guns, they would still find a way to commit their murders.

Kenneth Buck, Clearwater

A cult phenomenon

I am so very relieved that someone as astute and respected as Charles Krauthammer finally wrote that down-to-earth article on the cult phenomenon that is the Barack Obama movement.

Whenever I listen to Obama speak I say to myself, "Surely the American public is too intelligent to buy into this nothingness." I am so appalled that someone so lacking in substance that he reminds me of the old snake-oil salesmen or phony evangelists could have captured America's citizens so easily.

Surely we are not as stupid as the other countries say we are. Obese, lazy and undereducated, I do admit. But not stupid. No way! Right?